October 23, 1925 – May 12, 2019
Jan is a singer, a songwriter, a licensed body worker specializing in CranioSacral Therapy, and a teacher. She is an advocate for the ethical treatment of ALL animals and a volunteer with several animal advocacy organizations. She is also a staunch believer in the need to promote environmental responsibility.
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The earth does not revolve around the sun, proclaimed the Catholic Church leaders in the 1633 trial of Galileo Galilei. Galileo was on trial for heresy, accused of reinterpreting the Bible which was forbidden. If convicted he would be executed.
Galileo had scientific proof that the earth revolved around the sun. The Church leaders had their own experts who cited the Bible and Church doctrine to support their earth-centric theory. Why did the Church leaders cling to their false doctrine long after it was proven to be false?
The Catholic Church faced an existential threat in the 17th century on two fronts. On the scientific front, experiments conducted by European scholars were exposing fallacies in Church doctrines. Meanwhile, the Protestant Reformation challenged the religious authority of the Catholic Church by exposing the Church’s corruption.
If the Catholic Church admitted that Protestants were right about corruption and Galileo was right about the earth’s orbit, what else was it getting wrong?
The Catholic Church leaders reacted as anyone would who faces a loss of prestige and therefore power. They ordered Galileo to stop experimenting and to not talk about his discoveries on pain of death. Protestants were tortured and murdered in a forlorn effort to stop the spread of their teachings. The Church clung to its discredited doctrines in hopes of preserving its power, only to find its power and authority permanently diminished.
Now let’s fast forward to today’s debate about climate change.
The climate change deniers have staked their personal and professional reputations on the idea that climate change is a hoax. Over the years, several administrations and Congress have ordered government agencies to stop collecting and publishing data that might undermine their arguments denying climate change. They intimidate their opponents by withholding government research dollars.
Climate deniers face the same existential threat that the Catholic Church faced less than 400 years ago. If they are wrong about climate change, what else are they getting wrong? Since the climate change debate is now inextricably entwined into our political debates, climate deniers fear an irreversible decline in power and authority.
The fear of lost prestige and power keeps doctrines alive long after they are proven to be false.
About Norma Shirk
My company, Corporate Compliance Risk Advisor, helps employers (with up to 50 employees) to create human resources policies and employee benefit programs that are appropriate to the employer’s size and budget. The goal is to help small companies grow by creating the necessary back office administrative structure while avoiding the dead weight of a bureaucracy. To read my musings on the wacky world of human resources, see HR Compliance Jungle (www.hrcompliancejungle.com) which alternates on Wednesday mornings with my new history blog, History By Norma, (available at http://www.normashirk.com). To read my musings on a variety of topics, see my posts on Her Savvy (www.hersavvy.com).
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Filed under Business Savvy, History
She died of a lot of things, but she lived a lot, too. She had an accident in her early life – nine months old, hit by a car. I couldn’t protect her. We weren’t sure she would be able to walk or to have bladder and bowel control. All summer I stayed with her, washed her, kept her clean. They were surprised that she was so clean. Why, not, I thought, she’s my baby like any other baby. The day she stood up was a miracle. She had lost half her weight, but she began to eat again. Then she walked. She played. She gained weight. She returned to her playful self.
Her tail never learned to wag, but it bounced all her life. When she died, it was of old injuries and of old age. In human years she was eighty. She lived a lot of life.
She died of a lot of things. Maybe chief among them, other than the ocular melanoma listed as cause of death, was heart’s longing, longing for time with him she never had. He worked so hard, so long. He was good. He was loved, but she missed him.
She poured herself into children and church, gardening, reading, the Herb Society of Nashville, dear women friends. She created spots of beauty wherever she looked. She loved beautiful things.
When it became clear that dying was soon, she told me what to do. Even then she thought of others. “Tell him not to be alone,” she said. “Give the necklace to them – you know how.”
She died of a lot of things – longing, wishing in the mix. She died of more than illness, and she lived a lot of life.
When the time comes to “shuffle off this mortal coil”, may we all be able to know that we have lived a lot of life.
About Susan Hammonds-White, EdD, LPC/MHSP
Communications and relationship specialist, counselor, Imago Relationship Therapist, businesswoman, mother, proud native Nashvillian – in private practice for 30+ years. I have the privilege of helping to mend broken hearts. Contact me at http://www.susanhammondswhite.com.
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Filed under Self Savvy
These past couple of weeks I’ve been in a bit of a funk. I’m not sure what triggered it, and I can’t really put my finger on what, exactly, I’m feeling. I just feel a bit blue. Perhaps the recent bout of constant rain and gray weather is what got me down. But thankfully, today it’s glorious outside and I found myself motivated to work in my newly planted vegetable garden.
I’ve been planting vegetables the last several years since moving to the South, first in my previous home which had a large lot, and the last couple of years in my new home in a more urban neighborhood with a smaller yard. Each year I learn something new about the process and about myself in the hopes that my garden will improve and yield a better crop than the year before. It’s a “two steps forward, one step back,” sort of process. Dealing with nature means being ready for the unexpected. Haha, an oxymoron for sure. What I mean is, I need to learn to roll with things as they come and be better at living in the moment and problem solving as things present themselves.
Last summer, was the year of the stink bug infestation. Previous years I did battle with the evil vine borer. This year, well, I’ve tried to prepare the beds with food and nutrients, along with some, shall we say, unsavory additives to ward off another invasion. But who knows what’s lurking beneath the soil, in the trees, or what those cute but pesky little bunnies hopping in the neighborhood bring with them as they sneak in for a nibble. I guess it’s a sign of my true optimism that every year I try again, not knowing what will happen, but believing that I’ll grow right along with my garden. And most years I do have some victories. Last year in spite of those stink bugs, I did have five beautiful pumpkins. In fact, I still have some of the cooked insides waiting in the freezer to be turned into scones, pies, bread and jam. I also had a bumper crop of heirloom cherry tomatoes, and still have a few sweet potatoes left in the basement. So, there are rewards to be sure.
One important lesson I learned last year is that my tendency toward going big doesn’t always work. Of course, this isn’t news to me, but the overflowing beds really illustrated the problem. After planting zucchini, pumpkins, cucumbers and spaghetti squash all in the same 4×4 raised bed, it was easy to see I hadn’t planned well for their growth. Before long, they were all tangled in each other and as the summer progressed, they spilled out onto the surrounding lawn, some of the plants rooting themselves into the grass. The morning dew made for some soggy vegetables and some rot on the vines. So, while early in the season I was sure there’d be enough room, I learned that when it comes to planting vegetables, less is definitely more. This season, I’ve exercised some restraint and kept the beds sparser, allowing room for growth. I also plan to experiment with trellises and vertical gardening for the squash and cucumbers. And I’m taking a break from the pumpkins. Too heartbreaking if they don’t make it. See? I’m managing expectations!
As the season progresses, I’m excited to observe how my newly learned lessons help the process. I’m hopeful, as always, for a better year than last. I’m also certain to face challenges. And I just know I’ll learn something new. Can’t wait!
Barbara Dab is a small business owner, journalist, broadcast radio personality, producer and award-winning public relations consultant. She is the proud owner of Nashville Pilates Company, a boutique Pilates studio in Nashville’s Wedgewood/Houston neighborhood. Check it out at www.nashvillepilatescompany.com. She is also the creator of The Peretz Project: Stories from the Shoah: Next Generation. The Peretz Project, named for her late father-in-law who was a Holocaust survivor, is collecting testimony from children of survivors. Visit http://www.theperetzproject.com. If you are, or someone you know is, the child of survivors of the Shoah, The Holocaust, and you would like to tell your story please leave a comment and Barbara will contact you.
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Filed under Fun Savvy, Self Savvy, Uncategorized
HerSavvy
Susan Hammonds-White, EdD, LPC/MHSP
Jan Schim
Norma Shirk
Renee Bates
Barbara Dab
HerSavvy 